This invention pertains to a system, such as a reverse vending machine, for handling redeemable beverage containers (and the like) of the type carrying side-borne, optically readable information codes, such as conventional bar codes. More specifically, the invention pertains to rotary bristle means or mechanism which acts in such a system (machine) to propel successive containers of the type mentioned in an endo-pass-through-fashion, and with rotary motion, through a scanning station wherein information codes carried on the sides of the containers can be read by an optical scanner, or scanning means, located outside of the station. The scanner produces an output signal related to each code that is read, which signal is interpretable to indicate the information content of such code, thus to develop usable data relating to the handling/redemption process. A preferred embodiment of this mechanism is specifically illustrated and described herein in the setting of a reverse vending machine, wherein it has been found to offer particular utility. We recognize, however, that, beyond the specific setting of a reverse vending machine, our novel bristle mechanism can be used advantageously and effectively in various other particular kinds of systems and machines which handle, for various reasons, redeemable, coded beverage containers of the type mentioned above.
Many so-called "bottle bill" states now exist in which beverage containers, such as aluminum, soft-drink beverage cans, must carry a redemption deposit as a technique for encouraging recycling. In other states, major efforts are afoot to encourage voluntary recycling of such beverage containers, even in the absence of a required redemption deposit. To this end, various people have sought to develop various conveniently usable machines and techniques for intaking, or reverse vending, such containers.
A very satisfactory machine of the type just generally referred to is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,627, issued Mar. 31, 1987 to Hampson et al., for REVERSE VENDING MACHINE. The present invention offers a significant container-handling improvement employable in a machine of the type described in this patent, and accordingly, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described herein in the incorporation setting of such a machine. Both to simplify disclosure details in the present document, and to set an appropriate environmental background for focusing attention on the features of the instant invention, the same is described specifically in the environs of a '627 machine, and the entire contents of the '627 patent are hereby incorporated by reference.
As will become apparent from the description that follows, in the machinery shortly to be described, containers (cans) to be redeemed are dumped into a hopper through a user-accessible door in a cabinet or housing for the machine, and from this hopper, such cans are plucked seriatim by a rotary, carrousel-like conveyor which turns on substantially a horizontal axis and lifts cans to an overhead discharge station from which they are released, and initially transported by gravity for further processing. If an additional "downward launch" assist is desired in the discharge station, an appropriate airjet system may be incorporated and used.
It is at the location immediately below this discharge station that the unique apparatus of the present invention functions to facilitate such further processing. Here, a suitable "funnel-like" intake throat is formed by suitable vanes, which direct successively discharged cans, in an endo-fashion, toward an underlying scanning station, distributed around the sides of which are three, elongate, generally upright, equally angularly distributed, rotary brushes, also referred to herein as bristle means. Sprially organized bristles in these brushes engage successive cans and function both to aid gravity in propelling the cans downwardly to pass through the scanning station, and also, significantly, to establish positive, relatively high-speed can rotation.
A conventional optical scanner, referred to herein as a scanning means, "peers" into a side of the scanning station, in the region between a pair of adjacent brushes, to read (optically) the information contained on bar codes printed (or otherwise presented) on the sides of the spinning cans. Bristle-spinning of the cans assures that, as they travel downwardly through the scanning station, their respective bar codes will be readable by the scanner.
The scanner develops, conventionally, an output signal related to the information contained in read bar codes, and cooperating with an interconnected, onboard computer, develops suitable redemption data.
Cans which have passed through the scanning station are further processed for redemption in ways discussed and suggested in the '627 patent, which ways are not germane to an understanding of the present invention.
Various other features, objects and advantages attained by the present invention, will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.